How To Prep Your Pet For Extreme Weather & Other Disasters

If an earthquake, tornado or hurricane were to suddenly rip through your neighborhood, would you be ready? You might have a plan to ensure your family’s safety, but what about your pets? What would you do with your dog or cat if you had to evacuate; what supplies would you need to keep them safe during the ordeal? Every pet owner needs the tools and information necessary to prepare for large scale emergencies and natural disasters—because it very well could save your dog or cat’s life. Don’t let a disaster catch you unprepared: here’s how to keep your pet safe during extreme weather and other emergencies.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

First things first, you need to prep an emergency kit of supplies, as you likely won’t have time to assemble one in the event of an actual disaster. Store this kit close to your preferred exit, and make sure everyone in the home knows its location ahead of time. While it’s important to be thorough with your supplies, make sure the kit remains light enough to be easily portable. At the minimum, here’s what your kit should contain:

• Durable leashes/harnesses/carriers/collars for each pet
• Additional tags, with personal and vet contact information
• Pet Blanket
• Food for several days
• Water for several days
• Collapsible food/water bowl
• Necessary medications, medical records, and a waterproof bag to keep them in (most facilities require vaccination documentation before admitting pets)
• Small, pet-specific first aid kit
• A photo of you and your pet to verify ownership
• Thundershirts in the event your pet is easily frightened
• Non-toxic insect repellent
• A short, instructional care sheet: including feeding & medication schedules, behavior issues, and contact info for your vet

 

Never Stay at Home When an Evacuation Order is Given

If an evacuation order has been given, never stay at home with your pet just because you have no place to take them. This is unsafe and potentially life threatening for both you and your pet. To avoid a situation like this, you need to arrange accommodations for your pet before any such emergency occurs. More on that below.

 

Make an Evacuation Plan and Practice It

Once disaster strikes, it’s too late to make and execute an evacuation plan efficiently. If you’re a pet owner, you should outline an evacuation plan and route as soon as possible, and begin practicing it soon thereafter. It’s a good idea to include your pet in these practice sessions, so they won’t be startled when it comes time to enact them. At the minimum, your evacuation plans should include:

• A plan to bring your pet inside at the first sign of an emergency or extreme weather. This goes for official weather and emergency broadcast warnings, too
• A clearly chosen route of escape from your area, with one backup route at minimum, including a list of pet-friendly hotels along the way
• Verifying that your pet’s collar and tags remain intact and up to date just before leaving
• Remembering to collect the emergency kit you prepared for your pet in advance
• Calling and reserving, or verifying, any necessary boarding plans with your chosen facility, hotel or loved one
• Letting friends, loved ones and neighbors know that you’ve safely evacuated with your pet
• A plan of escape that allows you, your pet and family to evacuate in under 30 minutes in the event of immediate disaster

Arrange a Safe House For Your Pet

Knowing where to take your pet during a disaster is arguably the most important step in prepping your pet for an emergency. Most public storm shelters do not allow pets, so you’ll need to make other arrangements long in advance. First, contact your vet to inquire about local kennels and shelters that foster pets during emergencies. Second, see if any friends or relatives would be willing to care for your cat or dog in the event of an evacuation. Third, make a list of pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation route. At the minimum, have a primary safe house and a backup just in case. Tip: If your safe house options include a friend or relative’s home, take your pet there beforehand so they can familiarize themselves with the environment and their temporary caregivers.

 

Get a Rescue Alert Sticker

A rescue alert sticker is an easy precaution to take in order to help protect your pet from possible disaster. These simple decals let rescue workers know how many and what types of pets are in your home. Rescue alert stickers should be placed in a highly visible location, such as the front door. While alert stickers can be purchased at most local pet shops, the ASPCA offers them free through their website, which can be found here. Tip: if you and your pets are forced to evacuate in the face of an emergency, write “evacuated” on your alert sticker to let rescuers know you’ve already left.

Closely Monitor Your Pet After the Disaster

For pets, the days following a disaster can be just as stressful and dangerous as the disaster itself. Their normal living environment might suddenly look and smell differently, which can be disorienting. For these reasons, you need to pay special attention to your pet after a disaster. At the minimum, monitor the following:

• Aggressive behavior is not uncommon following a traumatic experience like extreme weather. For both your pet and others’ safety, closely watch your cat or dog when around other animals and people soon after a disaster.
• During a disaster, things like fencing and gates might have been damaged. To prevent your pet from getting lost, keep them close until you can check that all such structures remain intact or are repaired.
• Following a natural disaster, your home and yard will likely look much different than they did before. From harmful debris to spilled pollutants like pesticides, the area surrounding your home could be littered with potential hazards. Do a sweep—checking for possible dangers—before you let your pet back inside or outside your home after a disaster.

Additional Tips for Weathering a Disaster With Pets

• Stay calm during an emergency situation—pets picks up on our energy and will react based on how you react
• Take your pet to any facilities they might frequent during an emergency, acclimate them to the surroundings and staff if possible
• Double check that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date
• Consider microchipping your pet for additional protection in case they become lost
• Choose an alternative caregiver who can go to your home and collect your pets in case an emergency occurs while you’re not at home.

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9 Fall Foods to Share With Your Dog

Cooler evenings, multicolored leaves, amber sunlight—Fall is upon us. Filled with delicious cuisine and plenty of homemade baked goods, fall is the best season for food, bar none. Sadly, nearly all these holiday treats are unhealthy or just plain dangerous for our dogs, who will no doubt be begging for food scraps at nearly every holiday gathering. Thankfully there’s several fall foods we can feed our pups so they can share in the holiday celebrating, too. Here’s 9 things you can feel good about feeding your dog this holiday season.

Remember to thoroughly wash all fruits and veggies before giving them to your dog. Just to be safe, we also recommend consulting a vet before incorporating any new foods into your pet’s diet.

 

Apples

From bobbing for apples and pie, to applesauce and cider, apples are a staple of fall festivities. Luckily, this delicious and healthy treat can be enjoyed by your pup, too (minus sugar, salt and other additives, of course). High in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin A, apples can be given in slices, crushed into a sauce, or chopped and added to your dog’s regular diet (it’s good for their teeth, too). Just be sure to remove the entire apple core and seeds, as these contain arsenic and present a possible choking hazard.

 

Green Beans

Supermarkets are stocked with green beans during fall—and that’s good news for man’s best friend. Green beans are not only a good source of fiber, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and protein, but they’re especially beneficial for chubbier dogs, as they’re both low in calories and very filling. By adding raw or cooked green beans to your pup’s diet, you’ll not only promote healthy weight control, but you’ll be helping regulate your dog’s blood pressure and immune system, too.

 

Pumpkin

From lattes to pies and everything in between, pumpkin seems to find its way into nearly every food during the autumn months. Good news: your dog can join in on the fun, too! By adding a few teaspoons of fresh or canned pumpkin to your pup’s food bowl, you’ll help promote improved digestive health as well as healthier skin and fur. But pay close attention to the ingredients label, as many types of canned pumpkin contain salt and sugar—additives which should never been given to your dog.

Sweet Potatoes

What would Thanksgiving be without sweet potatoes? As long as you hold the sugar, marshmallows, and other sweet and salty fixin’s, your dog can enjoy sweet potatoes this holiday season, too. In addition to helping with both constipation and diarrhea, sweet potatoes are a great source of B6 and vitamin C. Simply add a few teaspoons of cooked sweet potato to your pup’s food bowl, or give it as a reward for good behavior.

 

Beets

Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, beets are yet another good vegetable to add to your dog’s diet in moderation. Dog’s with liver issues can especially benefit from beet consumption, as this root vegetable is renowned for its detoxifying abilities.

 

Cranberries

Packed with vitamin A, B1, B2 and vitamin C, and beneficial for urinary tract health, cranberries are an awesome way to enrich your dog’s diet. Cranberries are best enjoyed raw and fresh, or in pure juice form. Avoid dry cranberries and juice cocktails, as the added sugars and preservatives can wreak havoc on your pup’s tummy. Because dogs aren’t built for a fruit-heavy diet, only give cranberries in moderation.

 

Butternut Squash

If your dog suffers from regular stomach problems, consider adding butternut squash to their bowl. While squash can add much needed fiber and potassium to your pup’s diet, make sure to thoroughly cook it first, as raw squash is difficult for animals to digest.

 

Peanut Butter

While not strictly a fall food, there’s just something about the smooth, buttery texture of peanut butter that screams autumn. Of all the human foods healthy for dogs, peanut butter seems to be the one they enjoy the most. Thankfully for pet owners, peanut butter is just as healthy for dogs as it is delicious, providing a solid source of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins B and E. When choosing a peanut butter for your pup, read the label closely and select only a raw, unsalted, no-sugar-added variety. Especially look out for Xylitol, a sweetener added to many low calorie peanut butters, as the ingredient is outright toxic for dogs.

Turkey

Thanksgiving turkey is almost here, and unlike most holiday foods, turkey is something you can feel good about sharing with your pup. Lean, white meats like chicken and turkey are a fantastic, easily digestible source of protein for dogs. Just be sure to skip on the bones and the skin (which is fatty), and to only feed your pup turkey that was cooked free of spices. In other words, if your turkey’s been prepared with other ingredients like salt, pepper, onion or garlic, do not feed it to your pooch.

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How to Keep Your Dog Happy and Healthy This Fall

Fall’s cooler weather, holiday celebrations and abundance of delicious, homemade foods make it one of our favorite seasons of the year. But fall also presents a number of hazards and challenges for dogs and their owners. To ensure your furry companion enjoys the season just as much as you do, here’s 15 ways to keep your dog happy and healthy this fall.

Introduce Them to Pumpkins

Incorporating pumpkin into our diets during fall has become something of an American tradition. Which is good news for your pup—because they can share in the pumpkin-eating season, too! From weight management and digestive health, to healthier skin and fur, pumpkin offers many health benefits for your pet. To feel out your pet’s interest in this fall treat, start by mixing a couple teaspoons of canned or fresh pumpkin to your dog’s food bowl (if using canned, make sure there’s no sugar or other additives included).

 

Weekly Brushing

Fall coincides with the shedding of summer coats for many dogs. In addition to blanketing your world with hair, shedding is crucial to the comfort and health of your pet. For the sake of both you and your furry friend, take the time to brush your dog every week during the fall season, or as needed (daily brushing might be necessary for hairier dogs and cats).

 

Plant-Based Pest Prevention

Spring and summer are known as pest-heavy seasons, but did you know fall can be just as bad? Fleas, ticks and countless other insects remain a serious issue even as temperatures begin to drop. To safeguard your pup and to prevent them from bringing unwanted pests back into your home, treat them with a non-toxic, plant-based repellent before venturing outdoors. Applying every few days as a preventative measure is ideal.

 

Look Out For Snakes

Many types of snakes are most active (and aggressive) during fall, as they prepare for hibernation in winter. When hiking or just playing in the yard, watch your dog closely. Piles of leaves, tall grass, and other wild, unkempt spaces are prime territory for snakes. If for any reason your pet is bitten, take them to a veterinarian immediately—regardless of whether you think the snake is venomous or not.

 

Monitor the Water Bowl

While monitoring your dog’s water bowl is something you’ve no doubt grown accustomed to as a pet owner, there’s reason to be even more mindful of it during the fall months: Ice. Evening temperatures in fall occasionally drop below freezing in many parts of the country, which means your pet’s water bowl is vulnerable to freezing. Regularly checking your dog’s water for dangerous ice chunks is important to prevent a potential choking hazard.

 

No Sharing Holiday Food

From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving table scraps, fall is full of human foods that are unhealthy or outright toxic for pets. It’s very important to be intentional about what your dog eats and doesn’t eat over the next few months. Because the holidays often involve houseguests coming and going, make sure all visitors understand what your pup can and cannot be fed. To learn more about which foods you should avoid feeding your dog, click here.

 

Pay Close Attention to the Weather

It might not be cold yet, but fall can get quite chilly, especially in the evening. During autumn, it’s important to ensure that your dog—especially outdoor and smaller dogs—remain warm. If your pup starts exhibiting signs that their cold, you should take steps to warm them up immediately. If a storm is brewing, be sure to bring your pup inside, as low temperatures with rain can turn a healthy dog into a sick dog quickly.

 

Keep School Supplies Out of Reach

With kids returning to school, fall is the season for school-shopping. Unfortunately, supplies like pens, markers, erasers and glue double as dangerous choking hazards for pets. It’s crucial to keep such materials away from your dog at all times.

 

Be Careful With Holiday Decorations

What would the holidays be without decorations? Wreaths, festive lighting, decorative plants, cute knick knacks—all help put us in the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, many of these holiday decorations can be harmful to your dog. Dogs can easily become tangled in electrical wiring and lighting, while smaller decorations like ornaments present a choking hazard to curious pets. Be mindful of what decorative plants you use, too, as several types of holiday greenery are toxic if ingested. When decorating for fall, keep hazards such as these out of reach of your pet—you might just save their life.

 

Avoid Toxic Pest Control

As fall approaches and pests move indoors, it might be tempting to purchase some rodenticide or insecticide for the attic or basement. However, dog owners should never resort to using traditional, toxin-based pest control methods—they’re simply far too dangerous to use in or around a home shared with pets. Tip: for indoor bug issues, use an indoor-safe, naturally-sourced pesticide instead; for outdoor, we recommend using a plant-safe, non-toxic solution.

 

Watch Out For Mushrooms

Fall’s beautiful weather makes it an ideal time for long dog walks, hiking and exploring the outdoors. But with fall comes wild mushrooms, many of which are toxic to your pet. Whether in your own backyard or on the trail, pay close attention to what you pup’s putting in their mouth. Under no circumstances ever let your dog consume a wild mushroom, and if for some reason they do, contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.

 

Dress For Hunting Season

For many, fall means hunting season. To safeguard you and your dog from possible accidents, wear bright colors when venturing outdoors just in case.

 

Prep for Snow & Ice

Few seasonal events are as memorable as the first snowfall of the year. But for dogs, snow-covered surfaces aren’t all fun and games. Even the smallest bits of ice or compacted snow can damage your pup’s sensitive paw pads. If you live in a region commonly blanketed with snow and ice, consider purchasing dog booties to make daily walks a safer and more enjoyable experience.

 

Keep Seasonal Allergies in Check

Pet allergies are known to flare up in autumn. If you pup is among the many pets that suffer from seasonal allergies, make sure to have all appropriate medications on hand. If you’ve run out of meds, now is the time to visit your vet and stock up. If your dog has shown allergy symptoms before but you’ve yet to get a prescription, visit the vet ASAP—you could save your dog a lot of unnecessary suffering.

 

Hide the Antifreeze

In the months preceding winter, car owners regularly add antifreeze to their vehicles. What many people don’t know, is that pets are often attracted to the sweet chemical odor of this toxic substance. Even just a few teaspoons of antifreeze is lethal to most pets. When engaging in car maintenance this fall, be sure to clean up antifreeze spills immediately, and to always store it safely out of reach of curious pets.

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8 Essential Pest Control Tips for Fall

The cool chill of fall is here. Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, but so are bugs—and they just can’t wait to get into your home. While summer pest control is more about weekly maintenance and daily prevention, fall pest control centers on safeguarding your home from the hundreds of pests now hoping to move indoors. Fortunately, there’s several natural steps you can take to batten down the hatches, so to speak. Don’t want a bunch of nasty new insect roommates? Follow these 8 tips to keep your home bug-free this fall.

 

Clean and De-Clutter Inside

Ants, fleas, flies, termites, roaches, mosquitoes—all seek shelter indoors as temperatures drop. These and other common pests can be deterred by taking the proper precautions. Follow these simple preventative measures to help keep bugs out of your home this fall:

• Keep your home clean and free of clutter—particularly the garage, attic, basement, kitchen, closets, all flooring, window sills and counter tops.
• Any items you don’t plan on using for the season should be organized and sealed in airtight plastic storage containers (cardboard boxes attract many pests).
• Seal or get rid of stacks of magazines and other paper: bugs such as silverfish and cockroaches are attracted to the smell of paper.
• Seal all food in tightly closed containers. Keep all food storage areas free of crumbs and food residues (Tip: wipe off all jam, sauce and honey containers, too).
• Never leave food remains or dirty dishes in the sink.
• Take out the trash regularly, and keep all trash cans clean and sealed.
• Most bugs are prone to moisture loss, and enter our homes to seek water and cool down. It’s important to remove any standing water and other sources of moisture, such as leaky plumbing, basements, crawl spaces and A/C units (do this outside, too!).
• To prevent bed bugs, be cautious about bringing used furniture, luggage, linens and clothing into your home. Treat all such items with a naturally sourced repellent to kill possible stowaways.
• Do not store lumber or firewood inside or right outside your home. Doing so attracts various types of bugs, including termites. Keep all woodpiles at least 20 ft. away from your home, and elevated if possible.

 

Clean and De-Clutter Outside

Keeping a well-maintained and organized yard goes a long way toward keeping bugs out of your home as autumn approaches. Here’s what you need to do:

• Remove all clutter from your yard: woodpiles, yard equipment, brush, leaves, lawn clippings, tree stumps, unused dog houses, furniture, tires, and anything else that could collect water (moisture attracts nearly all pests).
• Engage in landscaping practices that expose your lawn to as much sunlight as possible (by trimming branches, tall grass, shrubbery, etc). Direct sunlight is lethal to many pests.
• Many bugs need vegetation to hide, so it’s advisable to regularly mow, edge, weedeat, rake, and trim the hedges until greenery begins to die for the season.
• When mowing, bag the clippings and dispose of them. Do not disperse them throughout your yard—doing so helps create a bug-friendly environment, especially for ticks.
• Change and clean bird bath water regularly, or empty entirely during mosquito season.
• Fix leaky hoses, faucets, sprinklers, A/C units, and clogged drainage areas to prevent pooling water
• Keep pools well-maintained
• Regularly check and clean pool covers and other tarps—these often hold water, attracting bugs.
• Seal all trash cans, dumpsters and compost areas.
• Clean out your gutters. As leaves begin to drop in fall, gutters can easily become clogged, leading to moisture buildup—which attracts pests.

 

Seal Your Home (Both Indoors and Outdoors)

With cold weather approaching, fall is often your final chance to ensure your home’s exterior is sealed and free of openings. Because most insects—and bug-carrying pests like mice—require only the smallest openings to enter our homes, this step is absolutely crucial to keeping your home pest-free this autumn. Checking both inside and outside, use caulk, cement or another suitable material to fill all cracks and holes.

Check the following: Baseboards, window sills, doorways, light switches, outlets, fixtures, vents, basements, roofing, utility lines, piping, attics, faucets, walls, and foundations. Screens or seals should be used to ensure windows and doorways remain firmly closed as well; be sure to repair or replace any damaged screens. For additional protection, consider installing a rubber seal at the base of your garage door, and weather stripping on any sliding doors in the home. Open drains can also be sealed using fine metal mesh.

 

Install a Chimney Cap

In addition to shutting out bugs, installing a chimney cap will help keep rodents, birds, bats and other insect-carrying hosts out of your home. This is important, because as the weather cools wild animals will look to enter your home in search of warm shelter.

 
Choose Decorations Wisely

Decorations come into play as we move through fall to the holiday season. Unfortunately, organic decorations like carved pumpkins, straw bales, wreaths, and garlands provide a food source and home for many pests. Going artifical with your Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations is one way to avoid this. Otherwise, it’s important to be extremely diligent with upkeep as far as natural decorations go: you’ll need to check them every other day or so for signs of infestation (Tip: Check decorations before bringing them home, too, as insects can ride these items directly into your home).

 

Use Plant-Based Indoor Pesticides

As fall approaches, it’s important to make your home unappetizing to any insects interested in moving indoors. Plant-based indoor pesticides are your best option, as they are both effective and non-toxic. These naturally sourced pesticides can be used as both a spot killer and a preventative repellent. Regularly spraying window sills, doorways, baseboards, countertops, attics, garages, basements and other possible entry points will create a repellent barrier against insects and other bugs (we recommend doing this at least once a month during fall, or more as needed).

 

Treat Yourself and Your Pets

Pets and people are a common vehicle for bugs to enter our homes—even in fall. Before and after going outdoors for walks, hikes, dog park visits, etc, it’s important to guard yourself and your pets against biting bugs like fleas and ticks (always check your pets for ticks, too!). Carrying a small bottle of non-toxic bug repellent in your purse or pocket makes this process easier.

Having holiday guests over? Remember bed bugs often enter our homes through visitors’ luggage or clothing. Treating the outside of luggage with a travel size bed bug spray is a smart way to ensure pests don’t hitch a ride into your guestroom. If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to treat your luggage before returning home to prevent accidentally introducing a bug population into your house.

 

Use Non-Toxic Outdoor Pesticides

Making your yard inhospitable to pests will greatly reduce the number of bugs you find indoors during the fall months. We recommend treating your yard with a non-toxic outdoor pesticide. Here’s how to do it:

• Thoroughly spray the entire yard. Be sure to spray all hedges, shrubbery, flower gardens, bases of trees, and anywhere else bugs might hide.
• When spraying, pay special attention to the perimeter of your yard and home, including all fencing, foundations and brick barriers. This will prevent bugs from entering your yard or home after treatment.
• Spray front, back and side yards all in one session. It’s important that all areas are treated within a short window to prevent bugs from migrating to other sections of your yard.
• During the fall months, we advise spraying your yard at least once every 4-6 weeks, or more as needed

Tip: Cedarwood chips can also be used to create a repellent perimeter around your lawn and home. Simply sprinkle the chips along your home’s foundation and fence line, as well as any other insect trouble areas.

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7 Essential Lawn & Garden Tips For Fall

Carved pumpkins, sweater weather, and gorgeous leaves are all things we associate with autumn. But when in comes to fall there’s something else to consider: Your lawn. The steps you take now during the fall months will determine the health of your lawn for seasons to come. By adhering to a handful of simple tips, you can greatly increase the chances you’ll experience a thriving, productive lawn once spring rolls around. Here’s 7 essential lawn and garden tips for fall.

 

Keep Watering and Mowing

It might come as a surprise, but during fall you should continue to water and mow your lawn more or less as usual. In general, it’s a good idea to lower your mower’s cutting setting to approximately 2 inches in height, as shorter grass tends to fare better in autumn (shorter grass means more sunlight exposure, which makes for a healthier lawn).
Aerate the Soil

Oxygen, water, and fertilizer cannot penetrate the soil if it’s too tightly compacted. That’s where aeration comes in—and fall is the perfect time to do it. By puncturing holes in your lawn, and removing plugs of soil here and there, you give your yard the opportunity to absorb any surface nutrients it might have otherwise been missing. Tip: for best results, fertilize just after aerating your lawn.

 

Fertilize

An even blanket of dry fertilizer applied in mid to late fall is a smart way to ensure a healthier, more productive lawn through the rest of the year. We recommend going organic with your fertilizer if at all possible.

 

Rake Up Those Leaves

As fallen leaves pile up on your lawn, they begin to choke the life out of your greenery. Robbed of oxygen and sunlight, the soil becomes less and less fertile. To give your lawn the best chance of flourishing in spring, keep it free of leaves through the fall and winter months.

 

Use Plant-Based Pest Control

 

Making your yard inhospitable to pests will save your lawn considerable damage during the fall months. We recommend treating your yard with a non-toxic outdoor pesticide. Here’s how to do it:

• Thoroughly spray the entire yard. Be sure to spray all hedges, shrubbery, flower gardens, bases of trees, and anywhere else bugs might hide.
• When spraying, pay special attention to the perimeter of your yard and home, including all fencing, foundations and brick barriers. This will prevent bugs from entering your yard or home after treatment.
• During the fall months, we advise spraying your yard at least once every 4-6 weeks, or more as needed

Cedarwood chips can also be used to create a repellent perimeter around your lawn and home. Simply sprinkle the chips along your home’s foundation and fence line, as well as any other insect trouble areas.

 

Kill the Weeds

Weeds are most vulnerable to herbicides in fall. If you’re hoping to finally conquer those pesky weeds, now’s the time. Be cautious when choosing an herbicide, however, as most are extremely toxic and unsafe for pets, people and the environment. Tip: Go with a non-toxic alternative instead.

 

Fill in the Bald Spots

Thick, healthier lawns are less susceptible to harmful pests and weeds—and filling in your yard’s bald spots is one of the easiest ways to achieve a healthier lawn. In fall, the ground is still warm, there’s plenty of moisture and there’s less direct sunlight drying out the soil, so seeds are more likely to take hold now than summer or spring. We recommend consulting a lawn and garden store regarding your specific grass and soil types, but in general an all-in-one organic repair mixture is the most convenient option for naturally filling in bald spots.

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9 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Pesticide Exposure

Our environment is filled with harmful contaminants. Widespread use of chemical-based pesticides plays a large role in our planet’s ever increasing toxicity. Because avoiding daily pesticide exposure is now all but impossible, it’s important to take steps to decrease the amounts of these toxins in our bodies. By lowering pesticide levels in the bloodstream, you can decrease your chances of experiencing the many horrifying effects of pesticide exposure—including cancer, diabetes and infertility. Here’s 9 things you can do to lower your risk of pesticide poisoning.

Eat Organic (and Reduce Dairy and Meat Intake)

Eating organic has been shown to greatly decrease pesticide exposure. For instance, in one swedish study, which looked at pesticide levels in the bloodstream both before and after switching to an organic diet, it was found that eating organic foods lowered certain pesticide levels by nearly 95%.

Reducing dairy and meat intake has also proven helpful. Because pesticides and other harmful chemicals accumulate in fatty cells, and because meat and dairy are more likely to be contaminated with GMOs than produce, limiting your intake of animal-based foods is a fairly easy way to lower your risk of pesticide poisoning.

Switch to Non-Toxic Pesticides

Clearly, personal pesticide use represents the most direct source of pesticide exposure. Switching from chemical-based pesticides to naturally sourced alternatives is a smart choice, not just for you and your family, but also for your pets and the environment.

Dry Brushing

While not all experts agree on dry brushing’s effectiveness, many swear by it as a method to detox the body of chemicals—including pesticides. Considering how many pesticides we’re exposed to daily, the concept of deep cleaning the skin to remove residual exposure seems like a no-brainer step to take. For more info on dry brushing, and how to do it properly, click here.

Shoes Off in the House

Shoes are a common vehicle for pesticides to enter our homes. We walk around every day unknowingly collecting pesticides on our clothing and shoes, and when we bring those things into our homes, we’re bringing the toxic chemicals along with them. An easy way to decrease this source of pesticide exposure is to take your shoes off before, or just after, walking through the door.

 

Drink Lots of Filtered Water

Switching from tap to filtered water, and drinking lots of it, is a smart way to ensure your body’s capable of naturally detoxifying itself—sufficient hydration is essential to that process.

 

Eat More Cilantro

Cilantro isn’t just delicious, it’s good for your health, too! Several studies have revealed the herb as an incredible detoxifier—including the removal of heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides.

 

Exercise More

Exercise and a healthy organic diet are crucial to your body’s detoxifying processes. Firstly, regular exercise increases healthy blood circulation, which in turn increases the rate at which toxins are flushed from the body. Secondly, toxins like pesticides are often stored in our body fat, and regular exercise is a natural way to break up fat cells and eliminate the stored contaminants.

Increase Your Fiber Intake

Fiber is conducive to digestive health. In short, it helps things move more quickly through your system—and that includes chemical contaminants such as pesticides and herbicides. For a list of fiber rich foods, click here.

Eat More Citrus

Eating more citrus is an easy way to encourage your body to flush insecticides and herbicides out of your system. Pectin, a fiber naturally abundant in citrus fruits, has a long history of medicinal uses. From helping prevent colon and prostate cancers, to diabetes and acid reflux relief, pectin offers countless health benefits. But above all, pectin is known as one of nature’s most gentle yet effective detoxifiers, heavy metals and pesticides included.

 

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6 Ways Synthetic Pesticides May Be Harming Your Children

Sadly, American children are in many ways less healthy now than they were a few decades ago. Learning disabilities, diabetes, and childhood cancers are all becoming more common. Pediatricians, along with other health experts and researchers, believe pesticides have played a big role in this rise. The National Academy of Sciences recently estimated that over ⅓ of all developmental and behavioral disorders—including autism and ADHD—are caused by exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides.

As dangerous as these poisons are to adults, they pose an even greater risk to our children. Because they learn through touch and spend significant amounts of time close to the ground, children are much more prone to pesticide exposure. Their low body weight and faster metabolisms also make children more susceptible to pesticide poisoning—their bodies are simply too small to adequately remove these harmful chemicals from their systems. In fact, it’s estimated that 50% of all annual pesticide poisoning cases occur in children under 7 years of age. But how else are pesticides affecting our kids? Here’s 6 ways pesticides may be harming your children.

Decreased Intelligence

Recent studies on pesticide exposure and brain function are all but unanimous: exposure during pregnancy, infancy, or childhood can significantly damage the brain and irreversibly alter mental development—leading to learning disabilities and decreased intelligence. In fact, pesticides are having such a significant impact on young brains, experts at Harvard and Mt. Sinai Hospital are calling the situation a “silent pandemic.”

These impacts, sadly, are often irreversible, leaving children mentally disabled for the rest of their lives. One study, for example, linked prenatal pesticide exposure to a seven-point reduction in IQ. Another, conducted by the Ontario College of Family Physicians, found pesticide exposure in the womb is consistently involved with “measurable deficits in child neurodevelopment.”

ADHD

Alarmingly, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD has increased by about 4% every year since 1997. Recent research suggests this rise is related with pesticide exposure. Scientists now believe anywhere from 20% to 40% of ADHD cases are caused, not by genetics, but by environmental pollutants like chemical-based pesticides. One such study conducted by the CDC looked at children and the effects of exposure to organophosphates, a type of chemical present in many popular pesticides. Researchers discovered that 94% of over 1000 children tested had evidence of these chemicals in their bloodstream. They also found that those with the highest levels were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as those with no detectable levels of organophosphates. Researchers also found a connection between low birth weight and ADHD—no surprise, pesticide exposure at infancy or in the womb is a known cause of low birth weight.

Obesity

Over the last few decades, the rate of childhood obesity has risen sharply. Noting this rise has coincided with an increased use of industrial chemicals nationwide, many experts now believe the obesity epidemic is associated with pesticide exposure early in life. Pesticides, it turns out, disrupt normal hormone production, which is largely responsible for helping to manage healthy weight. In fact, over the last 10 years, many studies have unearthed links between early pesticide exposure and both obesity and diabetes. In one study conducted in Denmark, for example, mothers exposed to pesticides through greenhouse work gave birth to children with notably higher BMI, or Body Mass Index scores. These children also experienced higher body fat percentages.

Autism

Evidence now suggests that many cases of autism might be the result of pesticide exposure early in life. New research into the links between pesticides and autism tell us prenatal exposures prove to be the most harmful. A study conducted in California’s Central Valley found that pregnant mothers exposed to a widely used type of pesticide, organochlorines, had children with a much higher risk of autism. Specifically, those that lived within 500 feet of agricultural lands sprayed with these pesticides, were on average 6 times more likely to have children who suffered from autism.

Birth defects

Did you know birth defects are the leading cause of infant deaths in the U.S.? Sadly, the rate of birth defects is only rising—and researchers think pesticide and herbicide exposure might be the cause. While studies have long pointed to the links between pesticide exposure in parents and the occurrence of birth defects in their children, a recent study makes the connection even more obvious. A several year nationwide survey using CDC statistics discovered strong links between birth defects and seasonal pesticide use in agricultural regions. So impactful were these instances of pesticide use that babies conceived during months of heavy pesticide spraying (between April and July) were found to have significantly higher risk of birth defects.

Drawings of young children exposed to pesticides Vs. those not exposed.
Pesticide poisoning is known to affect the areas of the brain associated with fine motor skills, such as drawing.

Cancer

Did you know cancer is the second leading cause of death in children under 15 years of age? Did you also know the most common childhood cancers—leukemia, brain cancer, neuroblastoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—are all on the rise? Rates of both leukemia and childhood brain cancer, for example, have increased by as much as 50% since 1975. Science now tells us pesticides are likely to blame.

One study looking at pesticide use and its effects found that children who grow up in agricultural areas have a much higher risk of developing cancer during their lifetimes. Another, looking at personal pesticide use, found mothers exposed to household insecticides increased their child’s risk of leukemia by significant margins. Similarly, several studies have revealed connections between household herbicides and an increased risk of brain cancer in children. Neuroblastoma, the most common of all childhood cancers, has also been linked with household pesticide use: children whose parents commonly used home & garden pesticides (or worked in landscaping) were shown to have a much higher chance of developing neuroblastoma. Unfortunately, these risks aren’t limited to just the typical childhood cancers, like leukemia. According to the President’s Cancer Panel, young females exposed to certain pesticides before puberty were 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer in adulthood.

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